Jan Brzechwa

Jan Brzechwa

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Jan Brzechwa

(1898-1966) – Polish poet of Jewish descent, author of children’s books and poetry, satirical texts for adults, translator of Russian literature. He published his first poems in 1915, in Petrograd-based “Sztandar” and in Kiev ”Kłosy Ukraińskie”. In 1920 , as a law student, he started earning extra money writing satirical texts, songs and skits. He collaborated with such popular cabarets as Qui Pro Quo, Czarny Kot and Morskie Oko. In 1926 he published the volume of poetry Oblicza zmyślone. His first volume of poems for children – Tańcowała igła z nitką – saw print in 1938, a year later the volume Kaczka Dziwaczka was published. He authored three parts of the story about Mr Kleks’ Academy, the books Pan Drops i jego trupa, Przygody Pchły Szachrajki and Szelmostwa lisa Witalisa. In the 1950s he wrote poems following socialist realism propaganda (e.g. Marsz, Głos Ameryki). Later he was no longer involved in politics, he was considered a passive opponent to the system. However, in 1964 he signed a letter of Polish writers protesting against the ”Letter of 34”. Along with those writers he protested against “an organized campaign of defamation of People’s Poland” by the western press and the Free Europe radio. He translated, among other writers, Alexander Pushkin, Sergei Yesenin and Vladimir Mayakovski.